North American Butterflies and Moths List

The definitive website on wildbirds & nature

Butterflies of North America

Butterflies of Missouri

White Peacock (Anartia jatrophae)

White Peacock (Anartia jatrophae [Johannson])

Wing span: 2 - 2 3/4 inches (5.1 - 7 cm).

Identification: Upperside is white with light brown markings and
a double row of light crescents at the margins. Forewing has one
round, black spot; hindwing has two. Dry season (winter) form is
larger and paler; wet season (summer form) is smaller and darker.

Life history: Males patrol and occasionally perch to find
females. Eggs are laid singly near the host plant or under its
leaves.

Range: Resident from Argentina north through Central America,
Mexico, and the West Indies to South Texas and southern Florida.
Migrates and temporarily colonizes to central Texas and coastal
South Carolina. A rare wanderer to North Carolina, Missouri,
Nebraska, and Kansas.

Conservation: Monitor status of United States populations.

The Nature Conservancy Global Rank: G5 - Demonstrably secure
globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range,
especially at the periphery.